Dar arrives in UK ahead of official visit starting on Monday

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in the United Kingdom on Sunday, setting the stage for a four-day official visit scheduled to commence on Monday, according to the Foreign Office. Upon his arrival, Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK, Tipu Usman, greeted him at London's Heathrow airport. The FO further disclosed that the visit will include meetings with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, FCDO Minister of State for Pakistan Stephen Doughty, as well as other high-ranking government officials.

Additionally, Dar is set to discuss the predicament of Pakistani crew members detained by Somali pirates on the MT Honour 25 oil tanker, and engage with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. Furthermore, the visit is anticipated to include interactions with British parliamentarians and representatives from the Pakistani diaspora residing in the UK.

This itinerary follows the two nations' commitment to bolster bilateral trade and enhance business-to-business collaborations, which was discussed in July. Prior to this, Pakistan and the UK reached an agreement in June to bolster cooperation in counterterrorism, combating illegal migration and human smuggling, institutional collaboration, and police training, as Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with his British counterpart, Hamish Falconer.